by Dan Moren
Apple acquiring magazine subscription service Texture
Apple today announced it signed an agreement to acquire Texture, the digital magazine subscription service by Next Issue Media LLC, which gives users unlimited access to their favorite titles for one monthly subscription fee.
Texture is broadly described as “Netflix for magazines,” in that a monthly subscription fee provides access to some 200 magazines, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, Elle, Fortune, and The New Yorker. I wonder a little bit about who the audience is for this, but clearly Apple thinks it’s broad enough to merit buying the service.
I imagine integration with Apple News is the intended goal, since it could provide a way to let readers easily buy access to a variety of titles that would otherwise be blocked by paywalls. But there have also been rumors that iBooks is due for an overhaul, so this could have a part to play there as well.
Update: Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue confirmed that Texture will be integrated into Apple News in an appearance at the South by Southwest conference.